A group of National Civic Union (UCR) deputies presented a bill to regulate euthanasia in Argentina in the lower house of Congress. The initiative was led by Mendoza lawmakers Lisandro Nieri and Pamela Verasay, and it seeks to recognize the fundamental right of every person to decide the manner and time of their own death.
It is worth noting that the bill provides that this right would apply to citizens who are experiencing intolerable physical or psychological suffering derived from a serious, chronic, and irreversible illness.
Details of the bill
The legislative proposal establishes strict requirements to access the "service to help die": any citizen must be of age and fully capable, in addition to suffering from a serious and incurable disease or a chronic and limiting condition. The process requires the submission of two voluntary and written applications, with a minimum separation of fifteen days between them, and the granting of informed consent.
These multidisciplinary commissions would be established in each province and in the city of Buenos Aires, and they would be responsible for reviewing all applications and supervising that the procedure is carried out in full compliance with the law, always respecting the autonomy of the patient's will. As for the practice, the law sets a maximum period of ten days for the service to be rendered from the moment authorization is granted.
Euthanasia may be carried out in two ways: through the direct administration of the substance by the physician or through self-administration by the patient, always with the appropriate professional accompaniment. The text emphasizes that the patient's will will always be revocable at any time during the process. Furthermore, the bill expands autonomy rights, as it contemplates the possibility of leaving advance medical directives and recognizes the decision-making capacity of those over 16 years of age on these matters.
The right to clear information, dignified treatment, and the strictest privacy and confidentiality throughout the process is also guaranteed.
How it would be applied
To ensure the correct application and control of compliance with the requirements, the bill establishes the creation of Medical Assistance and Evaluation Commissions. Legally, once the practice is carried out in accordance with the law, the death will be considered "natural." The bill also includes amendments to the Penal Code to guarantee legal security, excluding liability for professionals who act within the legal framework, and establishing prison sentences and disqualification for those who seek to unjustifiably obstruct the practice.
The authors (including Nieri and Verasay) base the initiative on the principles of autonomy and dignity enshrined in the Patient Rights and Dignified Death Law, stating: "Guaranteeing this right does not imply promoting death, but rather humanizing the end of life and allowing for a good death."
